602 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



peculiar location ami wants by which it is guided, and its ofUcers should understand 

 their duties and perform them to the best of their ability. 



No man should accept a position as officer in an agricultural society who will not 

 take an active inteicst in its affairs and work for its succe.-s. And no man should be 

 elected to till such position who has not the practical knowledge requisite to ably 

 fill it and tiie will and energy to use it. An army that is well officered is usually the 

 successful one. Rules should be plain and easily understood, and care should be 

 taken to make them applicable to the society they are intended to govern, and then 

 they should be enforced by the proper ollicers. It has been said by some one that 

 "order is heaven's first law,"' and perhaps there is no better place for its application 

 than upon our fair grounds during our yearly shows. The grounds should be care- 

 fully and systematically arranged, and the exhibits properly classified. At our State 

 and district fairs, I am of the opinion that catalogues containing each exhibitor's 

 name and exhibit, plans of the grounds, showing wliere the different exhibits may 

 be found, and containing nearly all the information that visitors desire, would be 

 very desirable and productive of great benefit. These catalogues should contain at 

 least all of the live stock entered for exhibition. Each animal should be entered in 

 its proper division, class, and number, with age, color, etc., if of the cattle or horse 

 department, and name ar.d address of owner or breeder. I think enough could 

 be sold to pajr for printing, getting up, etc. I am aware it will be said that 

 this would necessitate the making of entries in advance of the fairs. So much the 

 better. I have been and am now strongly in favor of having all entries of stock for 

 the State and Central Michigan fairs made at least a week preceding the fair. The 

 rule has been in operation in both ot these societies of late, and one week earlier 

 would be all the time necessary to prepare the proposed catalogue. 



Another good would arise from the early entries of stock. The superintendents 

 would know with more certainty how many stalls for horses and cattle would be 

 required, and how many pens fur sheep and swine would be needed, and time given 

 for their construction before the stock came on to the ground. Great inconvenience 

 was experienced by several exhibitors of sheep at our last State Fair for the want 

 of pens to put their stock in. Many fine-vvooled sheep nearly died from the effects 

 of the hot sun pouring down upon them in their uncovered huddles while waiting 

 for shelter to be made for them. And this was also true of swine and cattle. 



My idea then in regard to entries of live stock is that two weeks is none to long 

 for entries to be made before the fair. The secretai-y has time to get his books in 

 good shape. The superintendents have time to prepare stalls and pens for their 

 departments, and much of the confusion, fault-finding and disorder which is frequently 

 seen at some of our fairs would be avoided, and order and system prevail instead. 

 A fair cannot be managed successfully for any length of time, the paramount idea 

 being the amount of money to be secured. Neither can a fair be successfully man- 

 aged simply as an exhibition of stock, vegetables, machinery, etc., without it attracts 

 enough people who pay for the show to keep its financial condition good. The two 

 ideas, how to make a valuable, educational and attractive exhibition and have it 

 pecuniarily successful, must be considered together. 



Ho fair can be a success financially that has few attractions. People differ mate- 

 rially in their tastes and desires, some being gratified with one thing and some with 

 another. Some people go to a fair to see machinery, some to view the exhibits in 

 floral hall or art halls, some to look at cattle, some slieep and swine, some to view 

 the horses; some one thing and some another. A large number go to have a good 

 time, and want to take in the whole fair. 



Knowing the different inclinations and tastes of those who would attend agricult- 

 ural and other exhibitions, it would seem to be the province of the managers of fairs 

 to get together as many attractions as possible that are wholesome and good, aside 

 from the products of tlie forge, the loom, or the field. A military display is always 

 attractive. Properly conducted trials of speed, botii trotting and running, always 

 draw and pay well. And right here I know I am on debatable ground, for there are 

 many who seriously object to horse-racing on fair grounds or other places. In my 

 opinion a trial of speed without the pool-box, and under proper authoritj', is as 

 legitimate as an exhibition of draft horses when put to the test of their ability, or 

 an exhibition of cattle, sheep, or swine. Breeding horses for speed is recognized as 

 a legitimate branch of stock raising, and as such is entitled to all the privileges and 

 rights given to any otlier branch ot agriculture. And in no other way can animals 

 bred for speed be tested than by trotting, pacing, or running. And although I am 

 not a breeder of horses, and personally care very little about speed i)erformances, a 

 large majority of people do, and in a legitimate way they should be gratified. It 

 will pay, too. Any amusement that is harmless and attractive may properly find a 



